This is the very first Poirot/Hastings story. Set in 1916, we meet Captain Hastings as he is invalided out of the Great War and goes to convalesce at Styles Court, the family home of his great friend, John Cavendish. By an extraordinary coincidence, billeted in the village is a brilliant little retired detective with an egg-shaped head, who made a considerable impression on the Captain when he was in Belgium. Styles is not a happy household and in the blistering summer heat, tensions mount.

5 out of 5 stars

well done

By
Claster
on
09-04-11

The Mysterious Affair at Styles (AmazonClassics Edition)

By:
Agatha Christie

Narrated by:
James Langton

Length: 6 hrs and 29 mins

Unabridged

Overall

4.5 out of 5 stars
35

Performance

4 out of 5 stars
28

Story

4 out of 5 stars
28

Emily Inglethorp has been poisoned. And it seems everyone at Styles Court, from the hired help to family members, had a motive - and the means. But with Detective Hercule Poirot out of retirement and on the case, no one's getting away with murder.
The Mysterious Affair at Styles was not only Agatha Christie's debut; it also introduced her illustrious detective character to the world.

2 out of 5 stars

Narrator was terrible!

By
Ashley Dorr
on
04-25-18

More of Poirot's Finest Cases

Seven Full-Cast BBC Radio Dramatisations

By:
Agatha Christie

Narrated by:
full cast,
John Moffat

Length: 13 hrs and 27 mins

Original Recording

Overall

5 out of 5 stars
277

Performance

5 out of 5 stars
254

Story

5 out of 5 stars
255

John Moffat stars as the Belgian detective Hercule Poirot in seven more BBC Radio 4 full-cast dramatisations. The stories in this volume are:
Evil Under the Sun,
Sad Cypress,
Murder in Mesopotamia,
Lord Edgware Dies,
Halloween Party,
Murder on the Links and
Five Little Pigs. Based on the original novels by Agatha Christie, these superb adaptations feature a cast of outstanding actors playing an array of likely suspects.

5 out of 5 stars

Delightful

By
Mike
on
11-17-17

Murder at the Vicarage (Dramatised)

By:
Agatha Christie

Narrated by:
June Whitfield

Length: 2 hrs and 17 mins

Original Recording

Overall

4.5 out of 5 stars
92

Performance

4.5 out of 5 stars
80

Story

4.5 out of 5 stars
79

A BBC Radio 4 full-cast dramatisation starring June Whitfield as Miss Marple, the sharp-witted spinster sleuth. In the sleepy little English country village of St Mary Mead, all is not as it seems. Under a seemingly peaceful exterior lurks intrigue, guilt, deception - and murder. Colonel Protheroe, local magistrate and overbearing landowner, is the most detested man in the village. Everyone, even the vicar, wishes he were dead. And very soon he is - shot in the head in the vicar's own study.

4 out of 5 stars

Entertaining and engaging reading!

By
Amazon Customer
on
11-20-17

The Moving Finger (Dramatised)

By:
Agatha Christie

Narrated by:
June Whitfield

Length: 1 hr and 28 mins

Original Recording

Overall

4.5 out of 5 stars
105

Performance

4.5 out of 5 stars
78

Story

4.5 out of 5 stars
81

A BBC Radio 4 full-cast dramatisation starring June Whitfield as Miss Marple. Recuperating from a flying accident, Jerry Burton needs to take a break somewhere peaceful. He and his sister rent a house in the little village of Lymstock, where they know no-one and hope to be able to relax. Their quiet life is shattered, however, by the arrival of an obscene anonymous letter accusing them of impropriety. Jerry refuses to take it seriously and throws it on the fire.

4 out of 5 stars

Who is the poison pen?

By
DJDecca
on
05-17-14

A Murder is Announced (Dramatised)

By:
Agatha Christie

Narrated by:
June Whitfield

Length: 2 hrs and 13 mins

Original Recording

Overall

4.5 out of 5 stars
77

Performance

5 out of 5 stars
63

Story

4.5 out of 5 stars
59

A BBC Radio full-cast dramatisation starring June Whitfield as Miss Marple, the deceptively mild spinster sleuth. 'A murder is announced and will take place on Friday, October 29, at Little Paddocks, at 6:30pm. Friends please accept this, the only intimation.' Nestled among the usual notices about dogs for sale and appeals for domestic help, the startling entry in the personal column of the Chipping Cleghorn Gazette has the the entire village agog with curiosity. Is it a game? And who is meant to attend?

This is the very first Poirot/Hastings story. Set in 1916, we meet Captain Hastings as he is invalided out of the Great War and goes to convalesce at Styles Court, the family home of his great friend, John Cavendish. By an extraordinary coincidence, billeted in the village is a brilliant little retired detective with an egg-shaped head, who made a considerable impression on the Captain when he was in Belgium. Styles is not a happy household and in the blistering summer heat, tensions mount.

5 out of 5 stars

well done

By
Claster
on
09-04-11

The Mysterious Affair at Styles (AmazonClassics Edition)

By:
Agatha Christie

Narrated by:
James Langton

Length: 6 hrs and 29 mins

Unabridged

Overall

4.5 out of 5 stars
35

Performance

4 out of 5 stars
28

Story

4 out of 5 stars
28

Emily Inglethorp has been poisoned. And it seems everyone at Styles Court, from the hired help to family members, had a motive - and the means. But with Detective Hercule Poirot out of retirement and on the case, no one's getting away with murder.
The Mysterious Affair at Styles was not only Agatha Christie's debut; it also introduced her illustrious detective character to the world.

2 out of 5 stars

Narrator was terrible!

By
Ashley Dorr
on
04-25-18

More of Poirot's Finest Cases

Seven Full-Cast BBC Radio Dramatisations

By:
Agatha Christie

Narrated by:
full cast,
John Moffat

Length: 13 hrs and 27 mins

Original Recording

Overall

5 out of 5 stars
277

Performance

5 out of 5 stars
254

Story

5 out of 5 stars
255

John Moffat stars as the Belgian detective Hercule Poirot in seven more BBC Radio 4 full-cast dramatisations. The stories in this volume are:
Evil Under the Sun,
Sad Cypress,
Murder in Mesopotamia,
Lord Edgware Dies,
Halloween Party,
Murder on the Links and
Five Little Pigs. Based on the original novels by Agatha Christie, these superb adaptations feature a cast of outstanding actors playing an array of likely suspects.

5 out of 5 stars

Delightful

By
Mike
on
11-17-17

Murder at the Vicarage (Dramatised)

By:
Agatha Christie

Narrated by:
June Whitfield

Length: 2 hrs and 17 mins

Original Recording

Overall

4.5 out of 5 stars
92

Performance

4.5 out of 5 stars
80

Story

4.5 out of 5 stars
79

A BBC Radio 4 full-cast dramatisation starring June Whitfield as Miss Marple, the sharp-witted spinster sleuth. In the sleepy little English country village of St Mary Mead, all is not as it seems. Under a seemingly peaceful exterior lurks intrigue, guilt, deception - and murder. Colonel Protheroe, local magistrate and overbearing landowner, is the most detested man in the village. Everyone, even the vicar, wishes he were dead. And very soon he is - shot in the head in the vicar's own study.

4 out of 5 stars

Entertaining and engaging reading!

By
Amazon Customer
on
11-20-17

The Moving Finger (Dramatised)

By:
Agatha Christie

Narrated by:
June Whitfield

Length: 1 hr and 28 mins

Original Recording

Overall

4.5 out of 5 stars
105

Performance

4.5 out of 5 stars
78

Story

4.5 out of 5 stars
81

A BBC Radio 4 full-cast dramatisation starring June Whitfield as Miss Marple. Recuperating from a flying accident, Jerry Burton needs to take a break somewhere peaceful. He and his sister rent a house in the little village of Lymstock, where they know no-one and hope to be able to relax. Their quiet life is shattered, however, by the arrival of an obscene anonymous letter accusing them of impropriety. Jerry refuses to take it seriously and throws it on the fire.

4 out of 5 stars

Who is the poison pen?

By
DJDecca
on
05-17-14

A Murder is Announced (Dramatised)

By:
Agatha Christie

Narrated by:
June Whitfield

Length: 2 hrs and 13 mins

Original Recording

Overall

4.5 out of 5 stars
77

Performance

5 out of 5 stars
63

Story

4.5 out of 5 stars
59

A BBC Radio full-cast dramatisation starring June Whitfield as Miss Marple, the deceptively mild spinster sleuth. 'A murder is announced and will take place on Friday, October 29, at Little Paddocks, at 6:30pm. Friends please accept this, the only intimation.' Nestled among the usual notices about dogs for sale and appeals for domestic help, the startling entry in the personal column of the Chipping Cleghorn Gazette has the the entire village agog with curiosity. Is it a game? And who is meant to attend?

5 out of 5 stars

Fan of Mrs. Marple

By
NY Artist
on
01-20-15

The Sittaford Mystery

By:
Agatha Christie

Narrated by:
Hugh Fraser

Length: 6 hrs and 36 mins

Unabridged

Overall

4.5 out of 5 stars
437

Performance

4.5 out of 5 stars
391

Story

4.5 out of 5 stars
392

In a remote house in the middle of Dartmoor, six shadowy figures huddle around a table for a seance. Tension rises as the spirits spell out a chilling message: "Captain Trevelyan...dead...murder." Is this black magic or simply a macabre joke? The only way to be certain is to locate Captain Trevelyan. Unfortunately, his home is six miles away and, with snowdrifts blocking the roads, someone will have to make the journey on foot....

4 out of 5 stars

Hugh Fraser is the best.

By
No One
on
05-10-14

Miss Marple's Final Cases

Three new BBC Radio 4 full-cast dramas

By:
Agatha Christie

Narrated by:
June Whitfield

Length: 1 hr and 22 mins

Original Recording

Overall

4.5 out of 5 stars
248

Performance

4.5 out of 5 stars
207

Story

4.5 out of 5 stars
208

June Whitfield returns as the deceptively mild spinster sleuth in three full-cast BBC Radio 4 dramatisations. Specially broadcast to mark the 125th anniversary of Agatha Christie's birth, these brand new dramas are based on three of her best short stories.

5 out of 5 stars

Delightful

By
Robert Iris
on
02-18-16

The Body in the Library (Dramatised)

By:
Agatha Christie

Narrated by:
June Whitfield

Length: 1 hr and 27 mins

Original Recording

Overall

4.5 out of 5 stars
100

Performance

4.5 out of 5 stars
76

Story

4.5 out of 5 stars
80

BBC Radio 4 full-cast dramatisation starring June Whitfield as the sharp-witted spinster sleuth. Dolly Bantry, mistress of Gossington Hall, is enjoying a pleasant doze when suddenly her dreams take a strange turn. The housemaid Mary is telling her that there is a body in the library.

4 out of 5 stars

Entertaining and Fun

By
T. Perkins
on
01-11-15

Nemesis (Dramatised)

By:
Agatha Christie

Narrated by:
June Whitfield

Length: 2 hrs and 12 mins

Original Recording

Overall

4.5 out of 5 stars
93

Performance

5 out of 5 stars
77

Story

4.5 out of 5 stars
77

June Whitfield stars as the sharp-witted spinster sleuth in a BBC Radio 4 full-cast dramatisation now available on audio. Miss Marple is totally shocked to receive a letter from the recently deceased Mr Rafiel, an acquaintance she had met briefly on her travels. The letter leaves instructions for Miss Marple, whom Mr Rafiel had recognised as a natural detective, to investigate a crime after his death.

5 out of 5 stars

Very well done

By
Carmen Foster
on
11-23-17

Poirot's Finest Cases

Eight Full-Cast BBC Radio Dramatisations

By:
Agatha Christie

Narrated by:
Full Cast,
John Moffat

Length: 15 hrs and 36 mins

Original Recording

Overall

4.5 out of 5 stars
1,358

Performance

4.5 out of 5 stars
1,216

Story

4.5 out of 5 stars
1,207

John Moffatt stars as the Belgian detective Hercule Poirot. The ABC Murders: A chilling letter sets the sleuth on the trail of an enigmatic killer. After the Funeral: A wealthy businessman is dead, and his sister thinks it was murder. Death on the Nile: Poirot is in Egypt when a chilling murder takes place. Peril at End House: Whilst on holiday, the sleuth encounters a young woman, a hat and a bullet. The Murder of Roger Ackroyd: Mrs Farrars is found dead, one year after the death of her husband.

5 out of 5 stars

Excellent performances

By
Customer
on
01-25-15

4.50 from Paddington (Dramatised)

By:
Agatha Christie

Narrated by:
June Whitfield,
Ian Lavender,
Joan Sims,
and others

Length: 1 hr and 29 mins

Original Recording

Overall

4.5 out of 5 stars
74

Performance

5 out of 5 stars
58

Story

4.5 out of 5 stars
56

A Radio 4 full-cast dramatisation starring June Whitfield as the deceptively mild Miss Marple with Ian Lavender, Joan Sims and Susannah Harker. Elspeth McGillicuddy is down from Scotland for a holiday and boards the 4:50 train from Paddington station to visit her friend, Miss Marple. During the journey, another train pulls alongside, and through the window Mrs McGillicuddy witnesses a tall, dark man strangling a blonde woman. She reports what she has seen, yet no one takes any notice.

5 out of 5 stars

4.50 from paddington

By
jocelyn
on
08-03-11

A Caribbean Mystery (Dramatised)

By:
Agatha Christie

Narrated by:
June Whitfield

Length: 2 hrs and 9 mins

Original Recording

Overall

4.5 out of 5 stars
91

Performance

5 out of 5 stars
73

Story

4.5 out of 5 stars
72

As Miss Marple sat basking in the Caribbean sunshine, she felt mildly discontented with life. True, the warmth eased her rheumatism, but here in paradise nothing ever happened. Eventually, her interest was aroused by an old soldier's yarn about strange coincidence. Infuriatingly, just as he was about to show her an astonishing photograph, the Major's attention wandered. He never did finish the story....

5 out of 5 stars

Love the Dramatised Versions

By
Dylan
on
03-16-16

Sleeping Murder (Dramatised)

By:
Agatha Christie

Narrated by:
June Whitfield

Length: 1 hr and 26 mins

Original Recording

Overall

4.5 out of 5 stars
133

Performance

4.5 out of 5 stars
99

Story

4.5 out of 5 stars
99

Gwenda Reed arrives from New Zealand, travelling ahead of her husband with the task of finding the perfect place to make their base. In the quiet village of Dilmouth, she finds a house with immediate appeal. A few renovations will convert it into her ideal home. Then things get very strange indeed. Wanting porch stairs, Gwenda hires a builder to put them in - only to find some old steps, covered up by bushes.

5 out of 5 stars

i didn't wanna slleep a wink!

By
jeanette
on
05-16-11

And Then There Were None (Dramatised)

By:
Agatha Christie

Narrated by:
Lyndsey Marshal,
John Rowe,
Geoffrey Whitehead

Length: 1 hr and 26 mins

Original Recording

Overall

4.5 out of 5 stars
210

Performance

4.5 out of 5 stars
180

Story

4.5 out of 5 stars
181

A BBC Radio 4 full-cast dramatisation of a classic Agatha Christie mystery, starring Lyndsey Marshal, Geoffrey Whitehead and John Rowe. Ten guests travel to an island at the invitation of someone named U. N. Owen. All are strangers, but they have two things in common: they have all been responsible for someone's death, and none will leave the island alive.

1 out of 5 stars

They Re-wrote the book!

By
Jeff
on
08-07-11

At Bertram's Hotel (Dramatised)

By:
Agatha Christie

Narrated by:
June Whitfield

Length: 2 hrs and 20 mins

Original Recording

Overall

4.5 out of 5 stars
106

Performance

4.5 out of 5 stars
79

Story

4.5 out of 5 stars
80

Miss Marple, Agatha Christie’s deceptively mild spinster sleuth, is being treated to a few days’ holiday by her niece, staying at Bertram’s Hotel, a dignified, unostentatious establishment tucked away in a back street of busy Mayfair. Here is a place where sedate upper class ladies, retired military gentlemen and the higher echelons of the clergy can indulge in the comforts of a bygone age. But Miss Marple begins to feel uneasy. Something sinister lurks beneath the polished veneer.

4 out of 5 stars

Superb, but not sufficiently faithful to the book

By
Myrtle
on
04-25-15

The Murder at the Vicarage

A Miss Marple Mystery

By:
Agatha Christie

Narrated by:
Richard E. Grant

Length: 8 hrs and 12 mins

Unabridged

Overall

4.5 out of 5 stars
471

Performance

4.5 out of 5 stars
440

Story

4.5 out of 5 stars
436

"Anyone who murdered Colonel Protheroe," declared the parson, brandishing a carving knife above a joint of roast beef, "would be doing the world at large a favor!" It was a careless remark for a man of the cloth. And one which was to come back and haunt the clergyman just a few hours later - when the Colonel is found shot dead in the clergyman's study. But as Miss Marple soon discovers, the whole village seems to have had a motive to kill Colonel Protheroe.

5 out of 5 stars

Christie's Story+Grant's Performance = Great Book!

By
Scaramouche239
on
06-11-14

Crooked House (Dramatised)

By:
Agatha Christie

Narrated by:
Anna Maxwell Martin,
Full Cast,
Rory Kinnear

Length: 1 hr and 46 mins

Original Recording

Overall

4.5 out of 5 stars
59

Performance

4.5 out of 5 stars
51

Story

4.5 out of 5 stars
52

With World War II at an end, Charles Hayward is finally free to marry the woman he loves, Sophia Leonides. However, she refuses - the unexplained death of her grandfather, wealthy businessman Aristide Leonides, draws her back to the suffocating environment of her family home. Charles follows, but his arrival coincides with the discovery that Aristide’s death was murder. The ensuing investigation drags Charles into the dark heart of the family, and its deadly secrets and dangers.

5 out of 5 stars

Loved it!

By
SojoT
on
03-11-14

Publisher's Summary

A BBC Radio 4 full-cast dramatisation starring John Moffatt as Hercule Poirot, the great Belgian detective.

Elinor Carlisle and Roddy Welman are the model English couple, perfect companions set for a life of ease when they inherit Aunt Laura's considerable fortune. But a poison pen letter begins a chain of events which is to end in tragedy.

Convinced that Mary Gerrard, a childhood playmate of Elinor's, is attempting to ingratiate herself with her aunt for financial gain, the pair travel to the family home to investigate. They find no evidence but Roddy falls desperately in love with the beautiful Mary, little realising that beneath Elinor's restrained and unemotional exterior lies an almost obsessive passion for him.

Elinor obeys her aunt's deathbed wish despite her heartbreak, and gives Mary a large bequest from the estate. But when Mary is found poisoned, the evidence against Elinor is damning. It's up to Hercule Poirot to find out if the case is as simple as it seems...

Terrific, Layered Mystery

Where does Sad Cypress (Dramatised) rank among all the audiobooks you’ve listened to so far?

The BBC Agatha Christie dramatizations are at the top of my list.

What other book might you compare Sad Cypress (Dramatised) to and why?

Any of the other dramatizations starring John Moffatt as Hercules Poirot such as The Three Act Tragedy.

Which character – as performed by John Moffatt – was your favorite?

John Moffatt performs Poirot. Various actors do the other parts.

Did you have an extreme reaction to this book? Did it make you laugh or cry?

No but I found the mystery to be a bit sad and melancholy. These emotions added to the texture and atmosphere of the story.

Any additional comments?

This is a well done psychological mystery with intriguing characters and a good plot.Although Elinor is a less than traditional heroine, she works well in this story. I like her interactions with her aunt, her boyfriend and her rival. Well worth listening to.

Wonderful!

Would you consider the audio edition of Sad Cypress (Dramatised) to be better than the print version?

Dramatized are my favorite!

What other book might you compare Sad Cypress (Dramatised) to and why?

no comparison, all audio books are great.

What does John Moffatt bring to the story that you wouldn’t experience if you just read the book?

love the narrator John Moffatt.

Was there a moment in the book that particularly moved you?

the suspense always moves me.

Any additional comments?

I would recommend this to anyone.

Sort by:

Overall

5 out of 5 stars

Padraig

04-17-11

Excellent

Listening to 'Sad Cypress' on audio made me feel like I was there in the story seeing what was happening.

1 of 1 people found this review helpful

Overall

3 out of 5 stars

Performance

4 out of 5 stars

Story

5 out of 5 stars

Annemiek

08-21-17

Smile

A full cast performance, very entertaining. I bought this audiobook because audible doesn't have one read by Hugh Fraser who in my opinion is the best Christie reader. This is a good second choise, although I much prefer the whole book

Overall

5 out of 5 stars

Performance

5 out of 5 stars

Story

5 out of 5 stars

Amazon Customer

07-31-16

Great drama

Great play , very much enjoyed , well acted , Agatha Christie at its best. Love John Moffat